


The Devil (Major Arcana: 15)

by LadyFalcia



Series: Major Arcana [2]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Partners in Crime, Temptation, wardrobe malfunction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28779600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFalcia/pseuds/LadyFalcia
Summary: The Devil is connected with lust and greed, and with a refusal to recognise anything other than the value of pleasure for its own sake. An immovable obstacle that cannot be overcome but may be worked around. Discontent and depression caused by an overwhelming force. It also means unbreakable bonds, so strangely, it is a good omen for marriage.***Mammon finds Sariel in his room when he gets back from one of his money making schemes, and after avoiding the question for a while, she finally gives him a business proposal and demonstration that he definitely wasn't expecting.Asmodeus is having trouble with the fastener on his top and he has to turn to Sariel to help him get it up. Even though he knows that it's a terrible idea, he can't quite seem to stop himself. Besides, he really does need help.
Relationships: Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Major Arcana [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107173
Comments: 17
Kudos: 18





	The Devil (Major Arcana: 15)

**Author's Note:**

> The Major Arcana series is a semi-retelling of Shall We Date: Obey Me! with an original character, Sariel, and her burgeoning romances with Mammon, Avatar of Greed and Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust. The series is unusual in that I will never write from Sariel's point of view, the entire thing is through the eyes of Mammon and Asmodeus, with some guest characters for certain chapters or pieces (currently I have plans for one with Lucifer and one or two with Solomon). Each chapter is themed around a different tarot card from the major arcana.
> 
> The parts covered have many references to the in-game events but they won't be covered properly, instead I've chosen to concentrate on the bits we don't see, especially those which are hinted at, or make sense but are never explored.
> 
> I have only played up until Chapter 24, but there will be massive spoilers for until that point scattered throughout the work.
> 
> Pieces will be uploaded in the order that they are written, rather than necessarily in continuity order, but I will try to place them in the right order in the series.

# THE DEVIL

The Devil is connected with lust and greed, and with a refusal to recognise anything other than the value of pleasure for its own sake. An immovable obstacle that cannot be overcome but may be worked around. Discontent and depression caused by an overwhelming force. It also means unbreakable bonds, so strangely, it is a good omen for marriage. 

***

Mammon was so glum as he walked in that he almost didn't notice that the lights were already on in his room. He paused, eyes darting up, half expecting to find Lucifer standing there with his arms crossed, having already caught wind of what the second born had been up to that night.

Instead, he saw a curled-up form on his couch, leant up against the arm rest and with one of his mangas open on her knee as she read.

"D'AHHH! W-Wha- What're ya doin' in my room, human?" He took a step back, before realising it looked like he was trying to run away. He grumbled, walking forward and throwing his jacket onto the other couch and following it close after, dropping down onto the cushions.

Sariel was smiling at him, and she let out a soft laugh as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table, making him narrow his eyes, "Hey! Are you _laughin'_ at me? After comin' in here without my say-so?"

The human gestured airily with one hand, still smiling and said, "Well, since you're always coming to my room, I thought the reverse was implied." She glanced around at the luxurious room, almost an apartment in its own right, and then back at him, the smile deepening into a definite smirk. "Do you not want me to come over?"

Mammon stared at her, not entirely sure how to answer the question, feeling his cheeks starting to heat up. _Why do I gotta do this every time, I can't catch a break! She's gonna think I'm sweet on her or somethin'. And I'm not. I'M NOT._ He glanced to one side, "Ya just surprised me, that's all. Why didn't ya send me a DDD message or somethin'?"

Sariel raised an eyebrow at him at that and then turned back to the manga, her shoulders stiff and tense. He'd gotten better at reading her moods and he could tell she was annoyed. She spoke after a second, "I _did_."

The Avatar of Greed's eyes widened and he pulled out his DDD from his pants a little awkwardly, quickly unlocking it to see three unread messages from Sariel. He scanned them, finding her asking to come over, asking where he was, and then saying she'd wait for him in his room. With around an hour between each message. He grimaced, tossing it down onto the sofa next to him and dragged his hands through his hair, huffing, "Yeah, well, I was busy tonight. I can't be constantly runnin' around after some human, you know."

No response.

He scowled, giving it a couple of seconds before he would remind her that she shouldn't ignore the Great Mammon, but she spoke before he'd even finished counting. "What were you busy with?" Her tone was light, as if she didn't really care about the answer.

"Uh, well..." He answered lamely, "Is that, uhh, really that important? You know me, runnin' around, doin' all sorts of things. And I'm here now, so we can do whatever you wanted to do, right?" His eyes darted from left to right behind his yellow sunglasses, one hand dropping from behind his head to gesture at the human sat on his couch.

Sariel looked up, as if thinking, and then closed the manga. Mammon brightened up, hoping this meant that they were going to do what she originally had planned, but instead she slung her legs down so she was sitting up normally and fixed him with a steady gaze, "What scam was it this time?"

Mammon mouthed words for a moment, and then let out a nervous laugh, "I mean, why're ya thinkin' it was a scam? I could have been doin' a modellin' job or dealin' with the witches, or somethin' else like that."

She sighed, looking briefly up at the ceiling of his room, "Because if it had been something like that, you would have just told me, but now you've basically confirmed that you were doing one of your money-making scams tonight instead."

"No, I haven't! I haven't confirmed nothin'!" Mammon noticed Sariel narrow her eyes and decided not to push his luck, "Fine, fine, yeah. I was makin' some money tonight. But I needed to, you know I do, I'm swimmin' in debt and I gotta spend a lot of my time workin' on it. I'm the Great Mammon after all!"

Sariel crossed her arms and leant back against the couch back, before crossing her legs too. "I know." Despite her posture, her words were soft and surprisingly accepting.

Mammon blinked at her for a moment, looking shocked, "You do? Well, of course ya do." He grinned at her, "You've been hangin' around me for a while now, you're bound to have picked some things up." His grin froze for a moment and then dropped, "Uh, you're not goin' ta tell Lucifer either, right?"

His human paused and let out a soft laugh, which sent a strange pleasant warmth through his stomach. She snorted, "As if I would tell Lucifer anything."

Mammon still wasn't sure what to think about how Lucifer and Sariel acted around each other. It reminded him a bit of how Satan saw Lucifer, except with icy silences instead of curses. Something had clearly happened between them, things had been awkward but not like this at the start of the exchange program.

_Levi tried to flatten her after that quiz, and practically a few days later she was spendin' hours cooped up with him in his room playin' computer games and watchin' anime. Lucifer **saved** her from Levi and he gets treated the worst outta all of us. I've gotta ask her why one of these days..._

Sariel continued, looking curious, "How did it go, anyway? Did you get anything good?"

He grimaced again, twisting where he sat so he could slump inconsolably along the couch and let out a groan, "Not so much..."

She shook her head, still smiling, "Everything went wrong and you're in even more debt again?"

Mammon frowned at her, knowing that he sounded defensive, "Why would ya go straight to that, huh?"

Sariel tilted her head, looking at him with that expression that made him feel like she could see straight through him. She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, derailing Mammon's thought processes entirely for a moment, "Mammon, do you mind if I ask a pretty personal question?"

He could feel that he was blushing again, glancing away to try to hide it and thankful he was still wearing his sunglasses. He swallowed and looked back at her, his voice softening, "Well, I mean, sure. Since it's you. What do ya want to know?"

"Do you think that you might be self-sabotaging? With your money-making schemes, I mean."

Mammon blinked. "Self-sabo... whaddya mean?" His mind raced, mostly ignoring her as she patiently explained what the term meant. _She thinks I do it on purpose? That I **want** to mess them up and that's why so few of 'em go right?_ It was a possibility that had never even occurred to him before. He waved a hand, sitting up again and talking over her dictionary definition, "You think I like fuckin' up? Bein' in debt? Takin' punishments from Lucifer? I already told ya this more than once, I ain't a masochist."

Sariel caught his gaze for a moment and then nodded, before giving him a smile that was somehow a little hesitant, "Then, umm, would you like some help?"

_Wait, wha?_

Her cheeks were lightly dusted in pink as he stared at her, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Excitement and something a little like panic flooded through him on its heels, his eyes wide, "Ya mean that?"

Sariel shrugged, licking her lips and tucking a strand of hair behind an ear, "I don't know much about the Devildom yet, and I wouldn't be very helpful on the job itself but I do know a bunch about confidence tricks and setting up heists and things." She grinned, "A misspent youth running roleplaying games gives you some weird skillsets."

 _I don't think I even got half of what she just said but... she wants to help me make money?_ He couldn't stop staring at her, for once his mouth was refusing to work, "Uh..."

She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, and cleared her throat, her eyes showing that flash of defiance that kept getting her into trouble. She stood up, "I can do it. I'll prove it to you."

Mammon finally shook his head, rubbing his lips and, when he looked back up at her, his eyes were bright and had shimmers of gold sparkling deep within the blue. "Alright! Let's see what ya can do, human. Do ya think you can impress me?"

Sariel walked closer, gesturing for him to get to his feet. He frowned, getting up with a slightly confused look and stood there as she swept her gaze over him appraisingly. She started talking, taking a step closer to him, "So, a lot of the work in confidence tricks is the same as magic. Uh, stage magic that is. Not what Solomon does." She smiled for a moment, pausing the explanation to gesture with one hand. "The basic principle is misdirection. While everyone is looking in the one place," Mammon realised that she'd stepped another half-step closer to him while he'd been watching her hand.

She kept talking, but now her grey-blue eyes looked straight into his, "you use that distraction to do what you really want to do."

His eyes widened as he realised she was less than a foot away from him, slowly leaning in.

_Is she tryin' ta... kiss me?_

She was still talking but he couldn't hear her over his own suddenly loud heartbeat. His stomach flipped over, holding his breath as her eyes became all he could see.

A warm hand grabbed his wrist, pulling and turning until something could be slapped into his palm. Mammon's eyes snapped down and he looked at his wallet lying in his hand with an expression of almost comical confusion. He blinked, disbelieving, "Ya... ya fuckin' PICKPOCKETED me?"

Sariel grinned up at him, and let out an absolutely adorable giggle, "Did I do a good job?"

He returned his wallet into its back pocket in one smooth motion, still trying to get his head around the fact that she had just successfully picked his pocket. He frowned, "How did you know which pocket it'd be in?"

She lifted up one finger, looking pleased with herself, "Another important skill. Observation. I saw you take out your DDD before, remember? So I knew that your wallet would have to be in the other pocket."

Mammon patted his wallet through the fabric of his pants and then hooked his hands onto his belt, looking down at his human. It felt like he'd missed something in all this, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. He shrugged, he'd work it out eventually if it was important. He grinned, looking pleased with himself, "That's pretty good, for a human. I guess I might even let you give me a hand then, since you're so keen and all."

Sariel snorted, reaching out and poking Mammon in the ribs, "For ten percent of the profits, you mean."

"What? Ya crazy? What would you even-"

She spoke right over him, not even waiting for him to finish, "Ten. Percent."

He stared at her for a moment. _That leaves ninety percent for me. Mind, she wouldn't be actually doin' the work she said, only helpin' with plans so..._ He shrugged, sighing dramatically, "Fine, ten, but you gotta at least consider helpin' with the actual work if you want it."

She looked back at him, her arms crossed now and her lips pursed. He swore he could see the calculations going on behind her eyes. "Hmm, okay, but I get to choose which jobs I want nothing to do with. And which ones I want to help plan and sit out. I'm sure I'd make a great distraction, since everyone wants to _eat me_ but I don't really feel like being the stakes in whatever scheme we're doing at the time."

Mammon's eyes flashed, "Hey. You know I ain't gonna let anythin' happen to you. No matter what."

Sariel smiled up at him, her voice warm and quiet, "I know."

He blinked down at her expression, clearing his throat and taking a step back, pulling a hand through his hair, "Well, yeah, so ya should. For starters, Lucifer would definitely kill me if I let somethin' happen to you." He felt the sofa behind his legs and dropped down onto it, arms wide and draped on the backrest. 

"No other reason?" Sariel was smirking at him now, her arms linked behind her.

He laughed, his eyes looking anywhere except at her, "Nah, of course not, what other reasons could the Great Mammon have for protectin' some human, eh?" He really hoped she couldn't tell what colour his cheeks were under his sunglasses. _Stop it! Stopitstopitstopit!_

She shook her head slightly at him, though she still looked amused, "Well, we probably should work out the exact terms of this deal..."

They spent the next half hour hammering out the details of the arrangement, before she finally left to go back to her own room. It was only as he was pulling his shirt off, ready to fall into bed that the thought he probably should have had an hour ago finally hit him.

_Oh shit, when Lucifer finds out about this, I am gonna be in so much trouble._

But, as he rolled into his covers and closed his eyes, he was still smiling.

***

Asmodeus knew that he shouldn't, knew he'd already promised himself that he wouldn't. And still, here he was, his DDD in one hand and the other twisted behind his back, seriously considering doing it anyway. He let out a soft noise of frustration, both of his hands now in front of him, followed by a short sigh and dropping onto his bed. All other options had been exhausted, all avenues explored.

There really was nothing for it, it simply had to be her.

His thumb danced across his phone screen as he started writing a message to the newest housemate, trying to get across the severity of the situation, **> You have to help me!<**

He lifted up one hand and lightly bit the side of a knuckle, still typing with the other hand, thumb dextrously hitting keys. **> Be a doll and come to my room?<**

Perhaps she wouldn't come? He paused, waiting for a reply, fingernails tapping against the hard surface of his DDD case. _Ooh, if she does come, she'll see my room for the first time!_ The thought was exciting, making his breath quicken at the idea, fingers tightening around the phone. She would surely adore it. From the way she had reacted to her own room, he knew she would appreciate the artistry he'd put into its design: the roses, the luxurious surroundings, the copious finishing touches.

A small chirrup from the DDD, along with the accompanying buzz in his hand brought his attention back to see that Sariel had sent a cute OK sticker. He smiled, the excitement rolling over into anticipation. He sent the most heart-strewn sticker he could find, turning over and dropping onto his front on the bed as he continued to text, a small smirk on his lips that turned into a pout. _I should probably give her an idea of what to expect, though. She might have gotten her hopes up, I'm sure I've put all sorts of ideas into her head and I don't want to disappoint._ That she had agreed to come without even knowing what was happening, clearly she was besotted with him!

His fingers flew over the screen, sending multiple messages quickly, **> I'm actually going out soon, and this fastener is giving me so much trouble, I can't get it up by myself.< >It could really use a good tug.<**

The Avatar of Lust paused, starting to have second thoughts as he re-read his messages and imagined his door opening and Sariel walking in. Her stormy eyes, her hair that looked so _soft_. His eyes slowly shifted from honey towards raspberry, the colour pooling inhumanly at the bottom of his irises. His fingers moved more slowly this time, taking time with the keys, **> I should mention that my back is extremely sensitive. The slightest touch and... well, let's just say it will be hard to hold back.<** It wasn't a lie, his back was unreasonably sensitive, and if she decided to drag her nails...

Asmodeus shivered at that train of thought, pressing his face into the soft sheets on the bed, finishing the last message without even looking at the screen, **> So sorry if I get you too excited <3<**

If she came anyway, then she knew what she was getting into. _Though..._ He let out a sigh, lifting himself back up to a lounging position, _I really do need help with this fastener. Maybe I should have-_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on his door and then a soft, feminine voice, slightly muffled through the wood, "Asmo? Are you decent?"

He let out a low chuckle, all his fears melting into mist at the ludicrous question and he rolled to his feet, his eyes warm amber again. He walked over to the door and opened it with a wide smile on his face, "Sariel! I was hoping you would make good on your promise. You are soooo kind, helping me in my hour of need. I promise, I won't forget it!" He reached out, enjoying the look in her eyes, a mixture of laughter and affection, swirled through with just a dollop of wariness. She let him pull her into his room by a captured wrist, the other hand closing the door behind her as he dragged her to the centre of the room. He let go, turning on the spot, gesturing to the surroundings, "It's your first time seeing my room, isn't it? What do you think?"

Sariel slowly turned around as he watched her avidly, her eyes running from the floor to the ceiling, taking note of the rugs, the drapes, the hanging chair, the bed, and the roses everywhere. Growing, living, _blooming_ roses. He wasn't surprised as she walked over to his bed, reaching out to touch one of the flowers. Her fingers paused less than an inch from its petals, and she hesitated, looking over towards Asmodeus with a delightfully unsure expression. He let out a soft laugh, "Of course you can touch."

She flushed, tucking a lock of her hair behind an ear but her fingers moved the rest of the distance and gently stroked the surface of the rose petals. She closed her eyes, "Oh, they're so soft."

The Avatar of Lust tilted his head, enjoying her sweet expression, so vulnerable. "So? Speechless at its beauty?"

Sariel opened her eyes, looking back at Asmodeus and then smiled, wide and genuine, "It's honestly the most beautiful room I have ever seen in my life. And there's so many roses, living roses!" She gestured animatedly to the flowers scattered around the room, before taking a few steps towards him, the smile becoming more restrained, "And... it really suits you."

He smiled at her, enjoying her shining eyes, unconsciously echoing her by walking forwards, "Well, since you have excellent taste, you're welcome to come back any time you like." He lifts up a hand and very gently taps her on the nose with a smile, "I might, if you really want me to, see if I can get you some roses for your room too."

"Really?" She seemed surprised, and then grinned at him, "Thank you, Asmo, I would love that."

He smirked, "Well, as the first step towards that, if you could...?" He turned, presenting his back to her. The sleeveless top he was wearing should have been simple to zip up, but for some reason it had gotten stuck only a few inches up his back and refused to move no matter what he did. He held still as he felt her step closer to him.

He could see her face in the full-length mirror as she hesitated, looking at the fastener carefully and her frown of concentration made his eyes dance.

Finally, she put one hand on his lower back, a warm weight that made him take in a breath, and tugged at the fastener. Asmodeus felt a hesitant yank, the fastener still refusing to move and sighed, "You're going to have to try harder than that, Sariel. It's really stubborn!"

The hand on his back tensed up as his words, and then her fingers slowly curled in, taking hold of the fabric and holding it tight. The sensation, even through the cloth, made Asmodeus' eyes roll, biting his lip to try and stifle a moan. Every instinct _screamed_ to turn around and return the favour, to steal hungry moans from her lips and ride her down to the ground.

Sariel had frozen, no doubt due to the noise he had just made. He could hear how her breathing had changed, become louder, more unsteady. He kept his voice light and friendly, "Try again? I really do want to go out tonight, and it would be such a shame to lose one of my favourite tops over a recalcitrant fastener."

She took in a deep breath, "Okay." And the sense of her suddenly changed, steadying and he smiled, still impressed at how she sought to ground herself. Her fingers tightened and he could feel the pressure on the fastener slowly increasing second on second.

Suddenly, the sound of a zip filled the air and the feel of fabric finally reached all the way to the top of his collar. He could feel her fingers resting in his hair at the nape of his neck, still holding onto the fastener as if in shock that it had actually moved. He tilted his head back just a little, enjoying the warmth of her hand.

After maybe half a second, Sariel let go and stepped back, sounding faintly smug, "Okay, it's done."

He turned around with a wide smile on his face, giving her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose before she could protest, "Thank you, Sariel! I shall definitely have to come to you again if I need something."

She blinked at the kiss and then rubbed her nose, her lips twitching with a smile, "Uh, you're welcome?"

He laughed, unable to stop himself, "Oh, you are just too cute. But, I do need to finish getting ready. I'd offer to let you stay and watch, but sadly I think you'd simply be too distracting."

She laughed at that, a faint pink decorating her cheeks but her eyes were confident and dancing with amusement, "Well, we can't have that." She looked briefly reluctant, turning to the door and opening it, glancing back at him, "I'll see you at breakfast?"

Asmodeus tilted his head, smiling, "Of course, see you then!"

He waited until Sariel closed the door behind her before swooping to finish his pre-party preparation so that he could go out looking his best - which he always did - but he found himself distracted, his mind wandering even as he did the finishing touches to his hair.

The Avatar of Lust pressed his tongue against his lips and shivered in delight as he tasted the memory of her skin. He pulled out his DDD before he opened the door to head into the hallway, sending Lucifer a quick message, **> I'll be back for breakfast.<**

Tonight would be _fun._

**Author's Note:**

> I would love if people can help me with things like suggested tags, or if I've slipped into present tense somewhere (it's a bad habit I've got from doing online roleplaying on Discord and sometimes I don't find them all). All comments are welcome, especially constructive criticism. Writing from the brothers' POV is hard work, so any tips or pointers would be warmly received.


End file.
